Top 6 Programming Languages Mobile App Developers Should Learn

As the Mobile Apps market continues to expand, so does the number of companies who would venture into this lucrative field.

The world of apps is fast accelerating since many smartphones have more processing power and software platforms support more complex functions than ever before.

To best utilize the possibilities offered by various platforms and ensure long-term success, apps should be streamlined, optimized, and constantly worked on.

App Market Growth

As many experts predict, the mobile app market should reach anywhere between $500 billion and $1 trillion by 2025. It seems there are plenty of fish in the sea. However, constant improvements and security patches take away a lot of that revenue.

Furthermore, if you are serious about the growth of your apps, you should consider app localization services. Expanding your market also means language expansion.

Understand Your and the Market Needs

When deciding on the top programming language you as a mobile app developer should learn, understanding the basics in the field is a great starting point. Making sure that you understand the differences between:

• Native Mobile Apps,
• Web-Based Mobile Apps and
• Hybrid Mobile Apps,

Is a crucial step in deciding where you want to head in your prospective career.

Native, Web-Based, and Hybrid Apps

Native Mobile Apps are fast and reliable, your data is secured, they support full integration with the system, and offer the best functionality and UX or UI design.

Web-based apps offer ease of access and no installation since the app is always on your servers. Ease of update and security tweaks is why you would want to choose this kind of app.

Somewhere in between are the hybrid apps. Hybrid apps offer quick updates, as the data is constantly pulled from servers and is always up-to-date.

Think of weather apps that look and feel like a smartphone app. These apps can also function online, but require an internet connection from time to time.

Here are the top 6 programming languages mobile app developers should learn:

1. Java
2. Ruby
3. GoLang/Go
4. JavaScript
5. Swift
6. Python

As there are many tips for app development and app localization tips, let’s dive in and see what each of the languages has to offer.

1. Java

   This robust programming language is one of the most popular in the world, and it is a top choice for many app developers. It is more popular with Android users, and Android itself offers a plethora of tools that can be used to develop apps in this language.

2. Ruby

   Ruby is a language that has been influenced by a number of different languages. Although it is very popular, it has a low run-time speed and so it may be limited in its application. It is a general-purpose, object-oriented language that has a dynamic type system and automatic memory management.

3. GoLang/Go

   GoLang or Go or Go-To are all the names for a mobile app programming language developed by Google. This language is simple enough to be run on even the slowest of devices, yet it is functional enough to provide powerful functionality to the user.

   The only downside of this program is that it tends to get slower with more complex app structures (sounds familiar, Google Chrome?).

4. JavaScript

   JavaScript is another very popular mobile app developer language. The advantages of this language are that it has been around for over 20 years, has a huge community behind it, over 1.4 million libraries, and is constantly updated.

   Yet another advantage is that JavaScript can be run on almost any device, as well as on servers themselves.

5. Swift

   This programming language has been developed by Apple. It is a popular language, a successor of Objective-C. It enables easy readability and is type-safe, and one of its peculiarities is that it can be run in a separate window as it is being written so that any coding errors can be caught as they are made.

6. Python

   Python is one of the most popular mobile app programming languages. It is very simple and easy to learn and is the language behind many popular apps, such as YouTube, Dropbox, Reddit, etc. It supports integration with C and C++.

   

Final Thoughts

As there is a multitude of programming languages out there, it becomes imperative to first learn ABOUT these languages and then strive to actually choose one and start writing your first app.

Mobile app development is one of the fields where constant striving for success and better, deeper education can only reward you. This should say that a language that is popular today does not have to stay in the top 6 for a long time, as the unfortunate destiny of Microsoft and Blackberry native platforms has shown.